1. Field of the Invention
This invention is related to safety and arming systems for high-explosive bomb fuzes and, more particularly, to an air valve safety device utilized to provide an environmental signature for a high performance air-actuated bomb fuze.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Bomb fuzing systems presently utilize relatively outdated and sometimes unreliable point detonation mechanical fuzes. While being relatively inexpensive, such fuzes suffer from various defects. These include a propensity to malfunction upon encountering trees or other foliage prior to reaching an optimum detonation point. Further, the safety and arming systems associated with such fuzing devices are not as safe or reliable as they should be, and in fact, they do not comply with present day military requirements of providing two positive environmental signatures prior to arming.
Proposals have been made to modernize certain electric bomb fuzes by, for example, utilizing slipstream actuated charging systems that utilize environmental ram air to generate electrical energy within the bomb itself, thereby dispensing with the special electric charging gear formerly required onboard the aircraft. Such an approach is exemplified by my prior U.S. Pat. No. 3,757,695. While generally satisfactory, the approach described therein suffered from a major deficiency in not providing the necessary two environmental signatures prior to arming. Furthermore, the charging device could be accidentally exposed to slipstream air while in flight which would tend to pose a rather serious hazard. Other proposals, such as air scoops and the like, have also failed to take into account the undesirable effect of an accidental release or actuation of the device prior to the bomb's release from the aircraft. In modern high performance bombs with are wing-mounted on the outside of the aircraft, wind forces become significant; it is therefore essential to provide an airtight and failsafe system to ensure reliability and safety.
Another problem exists with respect to the design of the two laterally-spaced/suspension lugs utilized to retain the bomb on the bomb rack prior to release. Each suspension lug is generally of an inverted U-configuration, the bottom portion of which is secured to the body of the bomb. A single, releaseable hook or latch extends from the bomb rack through the upper portion of each lug. Such U-shaped lugs are generally satisfactory in that they allow air to flow substantially unimpeded therethrough after release of the bomb such that a sufficient amount of ram air reaches the slipstream actuated charging device which is positioned in the charging well of the bomb between the two suspension lugs. However, such U-shaped suspension lugs proved to be unsatisfactory in that they tended to permit the bomb to sway from side to side. To alleviate the sway problem, a new design of suspension lug has been introduced. The new lug is T-shaped and is designed so that each lug has a pair of hooks or latches from the bomb rack cooperating therewith. While largely eliminating bomb sway, after release the T-shaped lug presents a rather solid obstruction to the slipstream of air needed to actuate the charging devices located aft of the lug on the longitudinal surface of the bomb. Accordingly, a new technique is needed which is compatible with the preferred T-shaped suspension lugs and which obviates the foregoing and other problems.